


Deep Waters

by blacksniiper



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith is a half mermaid, M/M, Shiro is human, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-30 02:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10867278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacksniiper/pseuds/blacksniiper
Summary: I мєт уσυ ∂σωη ιη тнє σcєαη вℓυє...༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺One day, Lance meets a Shark. Or a Merman. He's attractive. But he's also human. Does that make sense...?Or, Lance meets a half merman and starts to fall in love.





	1. The Beginning

There’s many different species underwater. Some are sharks, some are flounder fish.... But if you go deep enough, you’ll find the mermaids.  
There are blue tails, golden tails, green tails and a whole assortment of colors. Some of them even look like clownfish. A whole kingdom of mermaids live here, just underneath our noses.

There are two adventurous mermen, one had a golden tail, the color of the sun. His tail had splashes of orange, the scales shimmering under the sunlight. The other had a deep, ocean blue tail, with small highlights of sea green and a silver streak running down the left side.  
These two were best friends, always doing dangerous things together. Their parents worried for their safety, but they assured them that it would be fine, nothing would happen to them.

Tonight they were exploring in dangerous waters once more. There were sharks, whales, and abandoned ships that had sunk to the bottom from many years ago. “Laaaance!” The Golden tailed one called to his companion, “It’s dangerous here, see?? It’s sharp and you’ll get cut!” He pointed dramatically at a sharp area around the hull of the ship, an opening created by a large boulder that jutted out from the sand. “Oh come on Hunk,” Lance replied, his blue tail, fins and gills glowing slightly in the darkness, “I’m always careful!”

But just as he finished protesting, he scraped his arm on a sharp piece of driftwood, a shiny blue scale on his wrist got caught on the edge and was torn off. Lance squeaked and grabbed his hand. “See?? I told you!” Hunk quickly, but carefully, swam over to the other merman and wrapped the tiny scratch up with a seaweed band-aid, some that he always carried with him in his tiny sack just in case. “Now come on,” Hunk spoke, “before Sharks smell that and find us here.”

The two swam out of the large ship, being careful to avoid sharks, and making sure the band-aid stayed on properly.

But their adventure wasn't over yet. The two met a whale, a large friendly whale that was apparently named Connie. They swam with it for a while, Lance making sounds of joy as the two mermen held onto the rough skin of the large creature. Connie swam through currents, but made sure not to stray too far from where they met, since it would be difficult to find their way back.

But soon Connie needed to go. She had a family of her own, after all. As Hunk and Lance said goodbyes to the gentle mammal, they began to head home.

The two passed an area littered with the bones of dead creatures. In one area, a giant set of rib bones jutted out from the ground, and smaller bones, mostly skulls, littered all around it. But there was something else, something that was alive.

A pale figure with a black tail was swimming around the giant bones, distinguished purple markings on his tail and fins, one on his back and one on each forearm. He had long black hair that whipped around his face as he swam around the bones curiously, a bone dagger in one hand and a dark green bag in the other. He seemed to be chipping some pieces of the bone off and stuffing it into his bag, for what reason it was unknown. The merman began swimming off to another set of bones, a smaller one, and with it’s spine and skull attached.

“Hunk look, look!” Lance grabbed his friend and pointed at the stranger. The two hid behind a giant rock, it’s size slightly smaller than what you'd call a mountain. They peeked out from behind, curious at the newcomer, the small “clink clink” sounds of bone against bone. “Lance we don’t need to take an interest in a shark or whatever!” Hunk whisper yelled, of fear that the stranger would hear them. The stranger turned his head at a certain angle where they could see his face. “And look! It glows!” Indeed, his eyes glowed slightly, a dark shade of violet.

“He’s so different!!” Lance said, louder than he meant to. The stranger’s whipped his head around, alarmed. “Who’s there!?” He called out. The two mermen ducked down out of sight, hand on each other’s mouths to make sure nobody made a sound. The stranger made a strange expression, before turning and swimming in the opposite direction.

Lance and Hunk both sighed, looking over the rocks again. He was gone, and he took his bag with him. “Who was that?” Lance inquired, curious about the merman. Hunk shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said, “but he isn’t from our kingdom that's for sure.”

“No I’m not. Now you gotta have a damn good reason to be in Galena territory.” A stern, yet young voice said from behind them. Hunk and Lance shrieked in what seemed to be perfect unison before turning around to be greeted by the stranger. It was the Shark, or more accurately, the merman that they just saw. His arms were crossed, his pale skin giving off a purple glow from his markings, an irritated and hostile air around him.

“Aha… Ahahaha… Um…. We’re just passing by?” Lance laughed nervously, his eyes flitting from the dagger to the wielder’s face. The Shark was not impressed, tilting his head as he seemed to become more annoyed.

There wasn’t much light down here, it was dark, and the only thing Lance could see was the Shark’s glowing purple eyes and his glowing markings on his cheekbones. “.... Fine then, shoo.” The Shark sheathed his bone dagger, the sheath made of leather, a small white seashell hanging from a green thread, presumably a thin piece of seaweed. Hunk and Lance were confused. They were being let off just like that? The Shark scowled, his lip rising, showing off his sharp, pure white teeth. His black hair swishing around his face, hiding it from them. “What are you waiting for?? Get out of here before I eat you!” And with that, the two swam away.

Lance stole a glance behind him. The Shark looked in their direction before heading away to his own destination.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

Hunk and Lance said their goodbyes before heading back to their homes, small little homes made of wood reinforced with seaweed, giant stones and metals retrieved from abandoned ships and boats, underwater flowers… to him, it was beautiful. Their tiny seaweed garden and small fence that surrounded the home. The wood didn’t rot, the stones didn’t grow too many barnacles, all thanks to the magic that belonged to the castle.

As Lance swam through the crowd of merpeople, trying to get to his home, it suddenly divided. The Prince was taking his daily swim, along with his mother and sister, Queen Fontaine and Princess Adella.

The Prince’s name was Ark. He was an orca, his tail white with splashes of black here and there, short black hair with small strands tied in long, thin braids that reached his waist. He was always smiling, his golden eyes shone with honesty and life. He always had an air of nobility and generosity, and was kind.

Ark was born with the ability to control water, a power that not many mermaids can use. For example, Lance himself was able to control water, but it was only tiny drops, and not a huge wave like Ark. Because his power was so powerful, it was shown that he definitely was the Prince, the heir of noble blood.

The royal family made their way to the centre square, seemingly to make an announcement. The crowd silenced as the Prince cleared his throat. “I know we’ve never told you about this, but I feel it is time to address this now. 4 years after my birth, our family gave birth to another son, another prince. He should have had more power to control the sea as me, but he was taken from us, when he was just in his small shell.”

When a Mermaid is born, he or she is encased in a bubble, a tiny bubble the size of your palm, and will stay in there until they are able to burst the bubble and swim out on their own, a small infant who will cry their first tears, and swim with their own tail for the first time.

When Lance heard the speech, he was surprised. Another Prince with more power than Ark? It seemed impossible, someone who could already conjure up a wave and lift water from the sea already seemed incredible enough. “Please… Find my brother… Bring him back to us…” The Prince’s expression was sad, but there was something else there, but Lance couldn't figure it out.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

The next day, Lance met Hunk outside the village, a small garden of sea flowers bloomed there.

“Good morning!” The merman said, cheerfully. Lance grinned and waved back as he swam over. “Goooood morning, Hunk!” The two exchanged their usual good mornings, talked about silly things and weird things that mermaids did yesterday. Lance clapped his hands together, his pearl white smile wider than ever.

“I know what we’re going to do today, Hunk!” He said, cheerfully. “Really? What do you have in mind?” His companion asked, slightly concerned, but mostly curious. “We’re going to explore the surface!” Lance said, as he pointed above. Hunk’s eyes grew ten times their size. “Lance! The last time we went to the surface, we got into trouble with Faeries!” He flailed his arms trying to state his point. Lance just laughed cheerfully. “Oh Hunk, we’re going to Mermaid Cliff!”

Mermaid Cliff was a tall cliff with blue flowers growing around the edge. It was a legend that said the Sea Goddess lost her loved one there, and the cliff was a memorial. The blue flowers were meant as a symbol of remembrance. There was a cave underneath the cliff, a cave that only the sea creatures knew. No Human nor Faerie was brave enough to go down to discover it, for the waves were too strong.

The Sandy beaches near it was deserted. No human ever went there, at least not until now.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

The two Mermen poked their head above the surface, taking in the scenery. It was breathtaking- the skies were a pale blue, the color of a duck’s egg. The clouds looked like soft cotton, and the calls of different birds rang through the air. But Lance’s favorite sound was the sound of the gentle waves, pushing themselves against the hard rocky surface of the cliff, and coming back, carrying blue flower petals with them.

“Wow.. It’s really pretty here, isn't it?” Hunk awe, looking at the sky. Lance whistled in agreement, laying on his back as he floated on the water.

However, out of the corner his eye, he saw movement.

A boy with messy black hair, a red T-shirt and black shorts. He was barefoot, but he held his brown flip flops in his hand as he walked across the golden sand. “Hunk!” Lance grabbed his friend by the fin and pointed excitedly at the human. Hunk shrieked and ducked behind a nearby rock.

“Hunk?” The golden tailed mermaid peeked out from his hiding place. “Isn’t that Shark we met yesterday? If he is, I’m out of here!” Hunk ducked down into the water, though Lance knew he was still there. Lance deadpanned, and looked over at the boy again. He was now sitting on a large rock, his bare feet dangling above the water. He did have the same bag as the Shark did.

Then the boy pulled out a blue item. It was about the size of his hand, and it was in the shape of a long egg. It had a small piece sticking out of it, and some little holes on one side. He put the piece to his lips and a beautiful melody began to play. Lance closed his eyes and leaned against a rock, making sure to stay out of sight.

Time passed. Lance felt sad when the boy stopped playing. He heard a voice call out to the boy. “Keith! Dinner!” It was very masculine. Perhaps it was a man? The boy looked up and shoved the instrument back into his bag. “I’m coming, Shiro!” And he got up and ran off. Lance noticed, before Keith left, a necklace hanging around his neck. It had six pearls, and three of them were black, while the other three were white.

Hunk came back up. He seemed to have heard the melody as well. “... Come on, it’s late.” He said. Lance nodded, and followed his friend back down into the sea, but not before looking back at the rock the boy, Keith, just sat at.


	2. How It Came to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ɯнσ I яєαƖƖу αм..."

Keith has been by himself for many years. Since he was 6 years old. He was 16 now, a teenager who enjoyed doing things on his own. When he was 9, he met another boy named Takashi Shirogane. His family had immigrated from Japan so he could continue his education in America.

Since his father left, Keith had been hiding in his father’s old cabin, a cabin by a small, secluded beach near Mermaid Cliff. When it was a month before his 7th birthday, he discovered a blue instrument in a small wooden chest. The chest was handmade, covered in tiny seashells and pearls. Inside was a pale blue Ocarina with splashes of aqua and turquoise, laying on a lavender bed of silk cloth. Keith remembered his father showing him how to play it, but that was a long time ago. And so he took the instrument and went to the beach, sitting on a rock and playing the instrument. The feeling of nostalgia that he received when he played the instrument took him away from reality.

Along with the Ocarina, he also found a pearl necklace. It had six small pearls, all the color of white with rainbow highlights. A tiny bottle was attached to it, with a small paper letter inside. The paper was old, and had yellowed with age. The edges curled, and it was coarse. On it was writing in ink, and instructions about the necklace.

“If you are reading this, you must be Keith, my son.

The necklace belongs to you. It is an enchanted object, one that will let you become your mermaid form when you enter the water. However, depending on how long you are in the water, they will turn black. When they all turn black, you will never be able to become your mermaid form again. Use this wisely.

Love,  
Your Mother.”

Keith held onto the necklace, but never really chose to use it until he met his new family. Keith’s father had apparently left a letter, a letter to the Shirogane family when they entered America. They were to move into the Cabin, and to take care of Keith.

Keith didn’t understand at the time, why his father left. The feeling of abandonment he felt didn't let him connect to his new family until he turned 11 years of age. He grew closer and closer to Takashi, or Shiro, and eventually they were inseparable.

And then Summer came. The two boys built a raft by salvaging pieces of wood from Mr. Shirogane’s workspace, and started sailing around the beach. It was fun and games at first, until Keith accidentally fell in the water. He couldn't swim well, and so Shiro panicked.

And then, Keith came up. Alive, and laughing. He swam around the raft while Shiro looked in amazement.

He had a tail.

It was a dark shade of purple, with white patterns and a large fin on the back, he looked a bit like a shark, save for the black circle in the middle of his shoulder blades.

The boy giggled as he swam. The feeling of having a tail was amazing, but it was growing dark, and they needed to head home.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

In a few years, when Keith became 14, they met some people. They weren’t human, but they weren’t exactly mermaids either. Sure, some of them were mermaids, but the others had purple skin and golden eyes. They called their species “Galra,” but they also said they were a Rebel organization named “Blade of Marmora.” It took Keith a long time to get their name right.

They taught him about the sea creatures, the mermaids and Galrans, and his own ancestry with his mermaid mother and human father.

Keith now goes down to Galena to collect bones, an abandoned area where mermaids used to roam, but sea dragons now live in, devouring large creatures and other sea dragons to survive. It is dangerous, and Shiro opposed to it at first, but Keith insisted. He said this was one of the ways to find out who he is, find out his mermaid heritage.

And that one day, when he met those two mermen. Real mermen. He didn't feel that alone anymore.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

“Keith, dinner!” Shiro called from the back porch of the cabin. His parents had left a few years ago, to go back to Japan. Since Shiro was an adult now, he could stay and live on his own with Keith.

The teenager looked up from his instrument, putting it back into his bag. “I’m coming, Shiro!” He called back, standing up and grabbing his flip-flops. Once he entered the Cabin, he shook the sand off his pants and placed his shoes on the shoe rack. “So how is the uh… collecting going?” His brother asked as he set down the plate of food. Keith poked at his chicken before replying. “It’s okay. Seen a couple dragons but they haven't killed me yet.”

“You know how dangerous it is…” Keith looked at his brother, a small smile on his face. “I know, but it’s fine. I'm safe.”

“And what if the pearls all turn black? You can't become a merman once they all change color.” Shiro sat down across from Keith and poured himself a cup of coffee. “I know. Which is why I’m using all the time that I can. The Galena has really nice seashells and the bones are great for carving.” Shiro looked at him, concerned, though really he just looked like a lost puppy.

Shiro took a sip of his coffee. “... I don’t want you hurt.” Was the only thing he said. Keith sighed, before sticking his fork into his chicken. “I know. But I’m fine, don’t worry.” His brother sighed and set down his coffee mug. “Alright… So what did you do yesterday?” A tiny, genuine smile was shown on Keith’s face as he began to talk about his previous day.

“Oh, and I met two actual mermaids too- err mermen?”

Shiro nearly dropped his spoon. “Wait what?” Keith nodded. “Yeah, but I think I intimidated them too much… Uhh…” The teen fidgeted with his hands. Shiro sighed. “You need to be more friendly, whether or not they're human.” Keith pouted, picking up his spoon to taste his soup. “It’s my personality! And you-” he jabbed the rounded end towards the older man in an accusing manner, “... have no right to say that! You were an angry bean when you were younger too!” And then he stuck the spoon in his soup. “Well I- I mean…” Shiro struggled to find something to say back but couldn't. “.... Yeah I guess you're right.”

“He admits it!” Keith cackled, then choked on a piece of his food. Shiro panicked and stood up so fast that his chair toppled over. Keith immediately downed his glass of orange juice and sighed. The piece of chicken had gone down with it. The teen held up a hand and cleared his throat. “I live-!” His brother sighed and picked his chair up, sitting back down. “I swear, one day I'm going to have a heart attack from you.”

Keith put his dishes in the sink and grinned at his brother. “Aw, don’t say that. Anyways I’m going to bed now, goodnight!” And with that he ran off.

༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺

Keith jumped onto his bed and hugged his pillow. His bed was next to the window, so he could see the sea at night when he slept. The wooden interior of his room made him feel safe. He looked out the window and stared at the moonlit sea, the stars and silver color of the moon reflecting on the water.

But there was something else. A blue splash. Was it just his imagination? Or was it real? But before he could figure it out…

… He fell into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Was totally not inspired by the wonderful [Trasshess's](http://trasshess.tumblr.com) art on Tumblr  
> ༻༓࿇༓༓࿇༓༺  
> My G+ is [Akira "Keith" Hoegane ](https://plus.google.com/112689423233754494309)
> 
> Follow me on [Instagram!](https://www.instagram.com/redraveniimakin/) Though I'll be attempting to change my username soon  
> Hit me up on [Tumblr!](https://faye-moon.tumblr.com)


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